Shroofus Sproutsire: The Ultimate Saproling Commander in Magic: The Gathering
Shroofus Sproutsire has earned its place as one of the most iconic creatures in the Magic: The Gathering Foundation Jumpstart set. It has quickly become the go-to commander for Saproling decks, especially notable for being the first non-token creature classified as a Saproling.
A deck centered around Shroofus Sproutsire is designed to flood the battlefield with a multitude of Saproling tokens, aiming to maximize your Saproling army. If you enjoy massive battlefields, then this deck is tailor-made for you.
Deck Overview
This deck features an impressive lineup, including a mix of creatures, sorceries, enchantments, artifacts, and lands. Specifically, it contains 32 creatures, 11 sorceries, 6 instants, 10 enchantments, 7 artifacts, and 33 lands. Most of these cards either generate Saproling tokens or enhance your existing creatures, aiding in the creation of even more tokens.
Key Cards in the Deck
Shroofus Sproutsire
As the deck’s commander, Shroofus Sproutsire plays a pivotal role. Its primary ability allows any Saproling that deals combat damage to create that many 1/1 Saproling tokens. Although it begins as a 1/1, boosting its stats is essential for ensuring it can deal damage and trigger its powerful ability. With trample as part of its arsenal, it becomes easier to get that damage through, quickly leading to an overwhelming advantage.
Beastmaster Ascension
This card offers an excellent way to amplify the power of your Saproling tokens. If you make at least seven attacks while it’s on the board, Beastmaster Ascension provides substantial power boosts to your creatures. This is particularly effective when combined with Shroofus Sproutsire, as it magnifies your Saproling’s damage potential and further increases the number of tokens generated.
Brightcap Badger
Fungi and Saprolings go hand in hand, making Brightcap Badger an essential piece for this deck. It can turn both into mana dorks, and it generates a Saproling token at the end of each turn. This dual capability offers solid ramping alongside consistent token generation, making it a valuable asset.
Pro Tip: Cast the Adventure side of Brightcap Badger first to create two Saproling tokens. When you eventually play Brightcap Badger, you can use those to generate extra mana, giving you an early-game advantage.
Champion of Lambholt
For maximum efficiency, gaining unblockable opportunities for your Saproling tokens is crucial, and Champion of Lambholt excels at this. As you churn out tokens, Champion of Lambholt accumulates +1/+1 counters, further strengthening your board state. This creature can deter blockers without needing to attack, keeping it safe from potential combat tricks.
Eldrazi Monument
This card fortifies your Saprolings while making them tougher to stop. Although you need to sacrifice a creature during your upkeep, your ability to generate multiple Saproling tokens mitigates this drawback. The added keyword abilities, especially indestructibility, ensure that your Saprolings remain in play and continue to create more tokens.
Playing Strategy
To effectively wield a Shroofus Sproutsire deck, your focus should be on building a massive army of Saproling tokens. Use cards like Spore Swarm and Undercellar Myconid to generate tokens and enhance your army. It’s crucial for Saprolings to deal damage to produce more tokens. Thus, cards that provide stat boosts, such as Muraganda Petroglyphs and Sylvan Anthem, are invaluable.
Your victory conditions can vary: you can overrun opponents with sheer token numbers or utilize strategic cards like Triumph of the Hordes to deal lethal infect damage. However, the deck’s biggest challenge lies in its reliance on generating and maintaining Saproling tokens, requiring early aggression to establish board control before your opponents can build their defenses.
With patience and strategic planning, you can leverage the power of Shroofus Sproutsire to dominate the battlefield, creating a thriving ecosystem of Saproling tokens that overwhelm your opponents.